United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has refused to confirm whether Christian Pulisic will be fit to face Australia in the World Cup.
Pulisic is dealing with a calf injury ahead of the crucial Group D match. The USMNT star was substituted during the team’s 4-1 win over Paraguay after feeling discomfort in his leg.
The issue reportedly began after Pulisic took a kick to the back of his leg during training. He later aggravated the problem during the Paraguay match, forcing the coaching staff to take a cautious approach.
Pochettino told reporters that the final decision on Pulisic’s availability will be made after consultation with medical staff. He suggested that the team does not want to take unnecessary risks with one of its most important players.
Pulisic has trained separately from the main squad this week and has been seen wearing a compression sleeve on his left calf. He has done modified work rather than full team training.
The injury has created concern for the United States because Pulisic remains the team’s most important attacking player. He was influential in the opening win over Paraguay before being taken off.
The match against Australia is expected to be one of the toughest games in Group D. Australia opened its tournament with a strong result against Turkey and is expected to challenge the U.S. physically and tactically.
If Pulisic cannot start, Pochettino could turn to attacking options such as Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson or Tim Weah to help carry the U.S. attack.
Teammates have expressed optimism that Pulisic will return soon, but the coaching staff appears focused on the bigger picture. With the World Cup still in its early stages, the U.S. may decide not to risk making the injury worse.
For now, Pulisic remains a game-day decision, and his status will be one of the biggest storylines before the USA vs Australia clash.
